"Frank Douglas has everything to live for. But someone else had to die first." Pulse was the epitome of everything that I crave in a book of my liking; suspense, murder, mystery, bad cop/good cop, a breezy affair, a grave secret and a family turned against the hero. Edna Buchanan is one hell of a good writer, compelling but not too forceful, psychologically correct but yet realistic.

An entertaining read, the story follows Frank Douglas after his heart surgery and the change in habits that is brought on by it. Curiosity gets the better of him and he is unable to kill the urge to find out about the man whose heart beats inside him now. This sets on a vicious cycle of deceit and things better left as they are. Frank slowly uncovers the secrets battling his attraction towards the widow of Daniel Alexander.

I loved the way the book is written, so perceptual of the mere acts of kindness in human lives. The fast-paced chase to uncover the secrets and the grueling hours in between were worth it. There were good doses of mystery from time to time and I liked the alienation he feels from his family. It is all superbly written!